Drapery hanger



g- 4, 1964 B. J. BIEDA 3,142,858

DRAPERY HANGER Filed Nov. 22, 1961 INVENTOR.

Bruce d. B/eaa ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,142,858 DRAPERY HANGERBruce J. Bieda, 5590 N. River Road, Rosemont, Ill. Filed Nov. 22, 1961,Ser. No. 154,222 Qlaims. (Cl. 16-87.6)

This invention relates to drapery hanger slide assemblies and the likeand is more particularly directed to new and improved hanger slideassemblies including an integral slide head which is constructed of amaterial having a low coefiicient of sliding friction and which isadaptable for use with either overhead mounted C-tracks or overheadmounted I-beam tracks of traverse rods of conventional construction.

Heretofore it has generally been necessary, because of the differentconstruction of traverse rod C-tracks and I-beam tracks mounted foroverhead applications, to employ separate and different types of hangerslides which are ridable on the track of the particular drapery traverserod employed, either a C-track or I-beam track. As far as I am aware, ahanger slide for receiving drapery hooks has not as yet been constructedwhich is capable of use interchangeably with C-track and I-beam tracktraverse rods mounted for overhead or ceiling applications. Moreover,the prior art slides constructed for employment with overhead heavy dutyC-tracks were generally not usable as substitutes for the prior artslides employed for use with regular duty G-tracks.

With the present invention, I substantially overcome the problems anddifiiculties of the prior art by providing a hanger slide assembly whichmay be employed with both heavy duty and regular duty overhead C-tracktraverse rods as well as with overhead I-beam track traverse rods.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a newand improved hanger slide assembly for overhead traverse rodapplications.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a. hanger slideassembly which may be employed with both regular duty and heavy dutyoverhead G-ltrack traverse rods as well as overhead I-beam tracktraverse rods.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a hangerslide assembly which is capable for use with either overhead C-tracktraverse rods or overhead I-beam track traverse rods.

A further object of the present invention is to provide hanger slideassemblies which are easily assembled to and disassembled from overheadC-track traverse rods or overhead I-beam track traverse rods.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a hangerslide assembly employing a slide constructed of a material having a lowcoeflicient of sliding friction.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a hanger slideassembly simple and compact in construction and eflicient in operation.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will become readily apparent to those versed in the art from acareful consideration of the following detailed description whenconsidered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustratingpreferred embodiments of the present invention, wherein like referencenumerals and characters refer to like and corresponding parts throughoutthe several views and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view in elevation of a ceiling mounted heavy dutytraverse rod employing hanger slide assemblies constructed in accordancewith the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

3,142,858 Patented Aug. 4., 1964 PICC.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an end view of the hanger slide assembly of FIG. 3illustrating the drapery hook receiving eyelet of the hanger slideassembly;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view in elevation illustrating the useof the hanger slide assembly of FIG. 2 with a regular duty C-tracktraverse rod; and

FIG. 6 is a view in section illustrating the use of the slide assemblyof FIG. 2 with an overhead I-beam track traverse rod.

A preferred embodiment of a drapery hanger slide assembly 11 constructedin accordance with the present invention appears in FIGS. 2 and 3. Thehanger slide assembly 11 comprises a pair of spaced and substantiallyparallel rods 12 and 13 defining ends of a single length of wire curvedto form a centrally depending drapery hook receiving loop or eyelet 17which is in a plane rotated approximately 45 from the plane of the saidrod axes. The angular relationship of the eyelet 17, thus provided,facilitates employment of the hanger slide assembly 11 with eitheroverhead -C-track traverse rods or overhead I-beam track traverse rodsas is more fully discussed hereinafter.

A pair of freely rotatable spheres 18 and 18', each constructed ofmaterial having a low coeflicient of sliding friction, for examplenylon, are mounted on the said rods 12 and 13, respectively. Each of thespheres 18 and 18' is provided with an annular peripheral groove,grooves 20 and 20' respectively, which are coplanar. The grooves 21 and213' are each in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of theirrespective rods 12 and 13. The grooves 20 and 20' may be considered toconstitute coplanar equatorial grooves located in a planeperpendicularto the axes of rotation of the spheres 18 and 18' on the rods 12 and 13.

The rod 12 is provided with a head or retaining member 22 providing abearing surface for the upper hemispherical portion 46 of the surface18. The rod 12 is of increased cross-sectional dimension to provide abearing surface 12a for the lower hemispherical portion 34 of the sphere18 to permit free rotation of the sphere 18 on the C-track of a traverserod. Thus, the retaining member 22 and rod portion 12a define the limitsof axial movement of the sphere during use thereof. Similarly the rod18' is provided with a head retaining member 24 which provides a bearingsurface for the upper hemispherical portion 46 of the sphere 18' and therod 13 is of increased cross-sectional dimension to provide a bearingsurface 13a for the lower hemispherical portion 34 of the sphere 18'.The retaining member 24 and bearing surface 13a define the limits ofaxial movement of the sphere 18 during use thereof.

The hanger slide assembly 11 may be employed with overhead C-track rodsof the heavy duty type, well known in the art, in which the track slotof the C-track rod is of substantial width between the ends of the trackjaws. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, an overhead heavy duty traverse rod,generally indicated by the numeral 26, is shown which comprises anelongated track member which is substantially C-shaped in cross-section.The track or traverse rod 26 is provided with a top face 26a formedintegral with curvilinear and elongated side portions 26b and 26c andwith parted and elongated jaws 26d and 266, which define a longitudinalslot 28 adapted to permit movement of a plurality of the slideassemblies 11 constructed in accordance with the present invention, witha portion thereof disposed in a space 30 defined by the C-track 26.

In the arrangement appearing in FIG. 1, the C-track 26 is provided witha plurality of hanger slide assemblies 11. Each of the hanger slideassemblies 11 is slidably disposed in the space 30 defined by theC-track in the following manner. An end cap 32 (FIG. 1) closing thespace 30 is removed from contact with the rod 26 and both of the spheres18 and 18' of each assembly 11 inserted in the space 30 with the 1oop'17thereof extending through the slot 28 formed in the track 26. Thesurface 11a of the lower. hemispherical portion 34 of the spheres 18 and18 below their equatorial grooves 29 and slidably engage the edges 32and 33 of the jaws 26d and 26e. Thus, when the hanger assembly 11 isemployed with heavy duty overhead C-traclc rods 26, the lowerhemispherical portion 34 of each of the spheres 18 and 18' is inslidable engagement with the edges 32 and 33 of the jaws 26 and 26a, andbecause of the characteristic of having a low coefiicient of friction,the hanger slide assemblies 11 may be easily slid along the trackdefined by the edges 32 and 33 during use of the slide assemblies 11.

To remove the hanger assemblies 11 from the space 30, the end cap 32 isagain removed and the slide assemblies 11 slid from the space along theedges 32 and 33.

The same hanger assembly 11 may be employed with overhead or ceilingmounted regular duty C-track rods 26 of conventional construction inwhich the width of the slot 28 between the jaws 26d and 26a is narrower,as appears in FIG. 5. When employed with the regular duty C-track 26'shown in FIG. 5, the end cap 32 (not shown) is removed from the rod 26'and the spheres 18 and 18' assembled to the track by aligning theequatorial grooves 20 and 20' of the spheres 18 and 18 in the same planeas the rod jaws 26d and 26c and by thereafter moving the spheres 18 and18' relative to the C-track 26' so that the grooves 20 and 20 engagewith and receive the ends and 42 of the jaws 26d and 26e as clearlyappears in FIG. 5. When a drape is hung from a hook (not shown)extending from the loop 17, the groove defining surface 44 of the upperhemispherical portion 46 of each of the spheres 18 and 18 is in slidingcontact with the upper surface 48 of the C-track jaw 26d and the uppersurfaceStl of the C-track jaw 268. Because the spheres 18 and 18 areconstructed of a material, such as nylon, having a low coefiicient ofsliding friction, the spheres 18 and 18' will readily slide and/or rollon the upper surfaces 48 and 50 of the jaws 26d and 26e during use ofthe traverse rod 26' and hanger slide assemblies 11.

Another feature of the present invention resides in the adaptability ofthe hanger assembly 11 for use with overhead or ceiling mounted I-beamtrack rods of the type illustrated in FIG. 6. The I-beam track rod 51comprises a bar 52 extending substantially perpendicular to the ceiling(not shown) of the room in which the traverse rod 51 is employed. TheI-beam rod 51 includes a top cross bar 54 and a bottom cross bar 56having legs 58 and 60 which extend perpendicular to the bar 52. Spacedfrom the upper cross bar 54 is a cross bar 62 which defines a spacebetween it and the upper cross bar 54 adapted to receive the mountingbrackets (not shown) for holding the I-beam track rod to the ceiling.

The legs 58 and 60 of the bottom cross bar 56 each extend outwardly fromthe bar 52 a predetermined distance sufficient to permit reception ofthe legs 58 and 68 in the equatorial grooves 20 and 20' respectively ofthe spheres 18 and 18.

Thus, to mount a plurality of assemblies 11 on the I-beam rod 51, eachhanger slide assembly 11 is aligned with the traverse rod legs 58 and 60in such a manner that the grooves 20 and 20' receive the legs 58 and 60therebetween when the hanger slide assembly 11 is moved for mounting onthe I-beam 51. The top surface 44 of each of the spheres 18 and 18'engage the corresponding top surfaces 66 and 68 of the rod 51 so that asthe hanger slide assembly 11 is moved along the track,

the spheres 18 and 18' will rotate and/or slide because of suchengagement with the top surfaces 66 and 68 of the rod legs 58 and 69respectively. It will be appreciated, of course, that the spacing of thespheres 18 and 18 relative to each other is such as to permit receptionof the traverse rod legs 58 and in the annular grooves 20 and 20.

By forming the hanger slide assembly 11 so that the loop 17 is in aplane rotated 45 from the plane of the axis of rotation of the spheres18 and 18 the eyelet or loop 17 is always in a suitable position toreceive a drapery hook and to thereby permit proper hanging of a drapewhen employed with either an overhead or ceil ing mounted C-track rod oran overhead or ceiling mounted I-beam track and as appears in FIG. 6.

Thus, with the present invention I provide a versatile hanger slideassembly readily adaptable for use with overhead or ceiling mountedC-track rods of conventional construction as well as with overhead orceiling mounted I-beam track rods.

Although various minor modifications of the present invention willbecome readily apparent to those versed in the art, it should beunderstood that I wish to encompass with the scope of the patentwarranted hereon all such embodiments as reasonably and properly comewithin the scope of my contribution to the art.

I claim:

1. A universal drapery hanger slide assembly for use with C-track andI-traclc units for overhead and ceiling applications including a singlerod looped to form a drapery hook eyelet and having both of its endportions bent away from the loop in the same direction to extendrectilinearly in spaced substantially parallel relation to each other, asphere carried adjacent the outer end of each of said end portions forrotation about the axis of the corresponding end portion, and an annularperipheral groove formed in the outer surface of each sphere, saidgrooves being coplanar and spaced from each other a distance sufficientto receive the track members of an I-track member.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein each sphere is constructed of amaterial having a low co-efiicient of sliding friction.

3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein said material is nylon.

4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said rod is centrally looped to formsaid eyelet.

5. A universal drapery hanger slide assembly for use with C-track andI-track members for overhead and ceiling applications including a singlerod centrally looped to form a drapery hook eyelet, the end portions ofsaid rod being bent to extend in opposite directions a short distanceand in the same plane and then at right angles to extend in the samedirection rectilinearly in spaced parallel relation toeach other, anylon sphere carried adjacent the outer end of each of said end portionsfor rotation about the axis of the corresponding end portion, and aperipheral groove formed in the outer surface of each of said spheres,said grooves being coplanar and said spheres being spaced from eachother a distance so that said grooves may receive the track members ofan I-track.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,552,831 Edsall Sept. 8, 1925 1,652,656 Bertuccioli Dec. 13, 19271,732,299 Bigland Oct. 22, 1929 2,732,894 Harris Jan. 31, 1956 2,848,734Ault Aug. 26, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 223,821 Great Britain Oct. 30, 1924 r520,405 Great Britain Apr. 23, 1940

1. A UNIVERSAL DRAPERY HANGER SLIDE ASSEMBLY FOR USE WITH C-TRACK ANDI-TRACK UNITS FOR OVERHEAD AND CEILING APPLICATIONS INCLUDING A SINGLEROD LOOPED TO FORM A DRAPERY HOOK EYELET AND HAVING BOTH OF ITS ENDPORTIONS BENT AWAY FROM THE LOOP IN THE SAME DIRECTION TO EXTENDRECTILINEARLY IN SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL RELATION TO EACH OTHER, ASPHERE CARRIED ADJACENT THE OUTER END OF EACH OF SAID END PORTIONS FORROTATION ABOUT THE AXIS OF THE CORRESPONDING END PORTION, AND AN ANNULARPERIPHERAL GROOVE FORMED IN THE OUTER SURFACE OF EACH SPHERE, SAIDGROOVES BEING COPLANAR AND SPACED FROM EACH OTHER A DISTANCE SUFFICIENTTO RECEIVE THE TRACK MEMBERS OF AN I-TRACK MEMBER.